"Oh yeah. Instinct ruled in those situations." I scratch my nose and turn a page. "Here's you."
A simple depiction of a female figure surrounded by four males, carefully inked in black, is drawn on the page. Beneath, a simple diagram of a circle represents Vee and four lines representing us touching the circle, two at the top, two at the bottom.
"So there's Truth at the centre of us."
Vee studies this for a minute.
"Xander originally thought the four of us combined created Truth, but we gradually became aware Truth was another entity. Partly because of this." On the next page, a more anatomically correct version of a woman graces the page.
Vee snorts. "Oh, nice. I think they captured my likeness well, though I think my breasts are smaller than that."
I chuckle. "I'll check and confirm later, if you like?"
She flicks my nose and kisses me.
"So, the next page?"
Vee goes to turn the page, and I place my hand on it. "That's everything relevant in the book."
"Liar." She pushes my hand away and picks up the book, then rests it on her lap.
I sigh. "Just don't think this is anything more than a symbolic representation. Like the circle and lines."
"Whoa!" Page turned, Vee almost drops the book. "What the hell?"
Yeah, the picture I was going to show as a joke, days ago, when she spoke about wanting us all. I intended to use this to tease Xander, who was adamant he had no connection to her.
On the page are the five figures represented throughout the book. Joined.
Physically.
"Well that's a bit bloody different to the circles and lines!" Vee continues to stare, brow pinched. She points. "Is this suggesting we'll do... this?"
"Uh. I don't know. I think it just illustrates what we thought. That Truth is a central part of the Four Horsemen. That a Fifth is part of us."
"But together? At the same time?"
I watch warily, attempting to pick up on her emotions.
Then she laughs.
"Omigod, what did Xander think about this once he realised Truth was a woman, and this depicted him having group sex with his brother involved?" She snorts a laugh, but I can't help smiling too.
"What do you think?" I ask cautiously.
She taps the page. "What do I think about having sex with you all at once? Seriously, Joss?"
"No! I mean what do you think it means?"
"Probably what you said. This situation won't happen, by the way, even if you were all willing." She laughs again. "Oh, man... I wouldn't know what to do with you all."
I share her amusement, and a relief Vee doesn't believe this is any more than symbolic. The idea does not appeal to me either. At all.
"Yes. The other symbol, the circle and lines, is just a physical representation of that. Confirms what we think, right? That if I have sex with all of you, I'll become stronger." She shakes her head with another chuckle. “Just individually though.”
I nod and ignore the Ewan-shaped elephant in the room. "Yes. There's something on the next page that's weird."
Vee flips over. The next page is blank. "What?"
"Huh?" I pull the book from her and stare down. "There are two pages missing. I think; I'm sure I remember a page with symbols on. I was going to compare them to the Collector's book." I rub my head. Did I imagine it? I've studied a lot of books recently. "Maybe it was a different book." I run a finger along where the pages bind, but there's no sign anything was torn out. "It was another figure. This was who we thought was trying to get through, the one the demons tell us about."
“I could help you check other books?” suggests Vee as she sets the one she’s holding on the table.
I rub my face. “Sure. Another time. I’m exhausted after tonight.”
“Hmm. Yes. Elyssia. Do you think this will help mend things with Portia?”
“I hope so.” I wrap my arm around Vee’s waist and look up at her. There’s a troubled look in her eyes as she looks back. “Are you okay? Is this about the book?”
She touches my lip with two fingers. “I’m sorry about what happened last time we were in here. I shouldn’t have pressured you like I did.”
I laugh in disbelief. “Are you talking about the sex, Vee? Believe me, you didn’t pressure me into that. I always told you I was just waiting for the go ahead.”
“No, I mean trying to make you take my emotions, putting you in that position.”
I pull her head towards me and rest my forehead against hers. “Honestly, the only position I was thinking about was the one I was in with you.”
“Very funny.”
“Seriously, I wouldn’t have done that if I thought there was any chance I would lose control and do what you’d wanted. I care too much about the girl I’m holding now to risk losing her.”
Vee presses her soft lips against mine, and we hold our mouths together with the humming emotion passing between us. “I don’t want you to think I was just seducing you because my powers took over.”
“I know,” I run a finger along her cheek. “I can tell how you really feel, remember.”
Sighing, Vee wraps her arms around my neck. “Thank you.”
I slide a hand beneath Vee’s shirt and stroke her warm skin. “But you do realise I’ll never be able to sit in this study again without picturing you naked on the desk.”
In this moment, peace and happiness washes over me I haven’t felt for days. Vee’s. She climbs from my knee and holds out a hand. “Let’s go to bed.”
I arch a brow. “Are you seducing me again, Miss Verity?”
Laughing, she pulls at my arm. “No. I want you to seduce me.”
Not a problem.
Never a problem.
“And I can show you how much I care,” she whispers. “And that I’m Vee, and I want her to stay.”
12
VEE
A meeting with Portia summons images of audiences in her craft room. Maybe a visit to wherever she holds court with her fae council. I'm surprised she'd choose the local community centre in the middle of town, but not surprised to hear she's involved with amateur dramatics.
We park outside the single-storey, red brick building, and the six of us walk through the blustery weather into the foyer. The place smells of floor polish and stale food; notices pinned to a large board advertise parents’ groups and the play due to perform in a few weeks’ time: Macbeth.
Joss taps it. "Shakespeare, huh? Who do you think Portia's playing?"
"The starring role, of course," replies Heath.
Our footsteps echo as we walk to the main hall. People pass in the opposite direction, chatting in pairs and holding scripts, walking from the hall's direction. Actors and actresses from Portia's play? We step to one side to allow them to pass, the guys naturally receiving a few double takes from girls who look straight through me.
Chairs are stacked along the wall in the large hall, and Portia sits on the small stage at one end of the room, chatting to another woman who I don't recognise. A tall man in jeans and a black shirt sits a few metres away and stands as we approach. Portia looks up to see why her bodyguard stood to alert and waves a hand at him to sit.